First week and a half of January'25: Project 365

 Last year has been a struggle from start to finish, with our older son's anxiety reaching such high levels, that the college discharged him, saying they couldn't cope with his challenging behaviour. It's nearly one year exactly since he went to college for the last time.

We've been with the disability team all this time, adjusting and changing doses and trialling different meds, trying to find the possible triggers and rule out any possible cause of the spike in anxiety. It was truly one hell of a year. 

If I didn't dye my hair, it would be completely white by now from all the worries. I'm Sasha's main carer, and feeling totally wiped out. 

I stopped taking part in Project 365 over two (or is it three?) years ago for several personal reasons, but I kept  thinking of going back, as I missed it. 

2025 didn't start too well for me. I managed to hurt my back on the new year's eve, and have been in pain for the last ten days. Most of the photos taken during this week and a half are mostly food and everyday objects around the house, as I spent a lot of time at home.

New Year's eve was stressful and fun in equal measure. We had friends over for dinner and watched the TV until early hours. 

On the 1st of January we kept eating the leftovers. I cooked a big risotto layer cake (with chestnut puree, mascarpone and butternut squash) as the vegetarian main. Our friends brought the lamb.

As nobody in particular fancied risotto the next day, I made a variation of arancini (risotto balls) and baked them in the oven.

The first book of the year which I started reading at the end of December was A Book for Christmas by Selma Lagerlöf. It's a collecton of winter-themed stories, based on Swedish folklore and Christian fables. It is properly old-fashioned in style, and rather moralistic, in a dated way. 

It's a lovely edition, and I did pick it up because of the author's name and an elegant book cover, but I won't be re-reading it ever again.

One of my Christmas gifts was this cute little radio so that I could listen to Classic FM in the kitchen. They moved from DAB to DAB+ radio a year ago, and I could only listen to them on my iphone (which I rather hated). Very happy to be re-united with my favourite radio station.

I've been careful, staying at home with my bad back, but had to go out, albeit briefly. My husband was abroad (nothing new), and I needed to get to the pharmacy. Passing by the Teddy bears of Witney shop, I spotted a Snoopy toy in the window, and thought it's a bit symbolic. 

Going out happened to be not such a good idea. That's my "treats" for this week (not all at once).

I ordered a shopping bag on wheels from Amazon, and was aghast at the huge box it was delivered in.

I appreciate it's not exactly an elegant bag, but needs must. 

A friend took Eddie and me to Burford garden centre just before Christmas. I have a mini-tradition of buying one or two Gisela Graham Christmas tree decorations every year. This time I liked the look of those sparkling acorns (and yes, we still have our Christmas tree, and it will stay put until the Russian old new year, the 14th of January).

Cooking pasta e fagioli for dinner - two versions, one with meatballs, and one vegetarian, to suit all diets in the family.

Ventured out again, to the pharmacy and quick food shopping. There was a thin layer of ice in the canal.

Today Eddie and I went into town together, walking through the frozen flood fields. It was cold and foggy, and quite beautiful.

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